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Notts County are back in League Two action this weekend with a home game against one of League Two's trickier propositions, Exeter City. The Grecians topped the table earlier in the season and remain well in promotion contention as they sit fifth in the table. Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Exeter fan Matt to get an insight on Saturday's opposition. About Matt: I'm 27 years old, been supporting the team as far back as I can remember, and my favourite player is Richard Logan. How have Exeter City done so far this season? On the whole it's been fantastic, we picked up from where we left off last season and went top of the table and even though our form has gone a bit wobbly - mostly due to the poor away form - we're still just a point off third place, so it's all up for grabs! Was 2017 a good year for the Grecians? Definitely. From bottom of the table in November 2016 to a playoff place and a trip to Wembley, obviously it was a massive shame not being able to get the job done against Blackpool but having picked up from where we left off, it's a great platform and we hope 2018 can see Exeter finally go up! Who has been your standout player this season? Jayden Stockley, our record signing, has had a brilliant campaign so far, with 13 goals in all competitions. Apart from being a clinical finisher, he's also able to pull off stunning pieces of skill, like when he flicked the ball over that Morecambe defender before scoring in our 4-1 win a couple months ago. What's your favourite memory as an Exeter fan? The 1-0 win at Rotherham on the last day of the 2008-09 season, which gave us our second successive promotion - from non-league to League One in two years. What an amazing day that was! Where do you think you'll finish this season? If we can sort out our away jitters and keep on performing and getting results at home, there's no reason why we can't finish in the top three. Even Luton and Notts, who seemed like they were shoe-ins for 1st and 2nd, are beatable on their day, so there's bound to be a lot more twists and turns this season. Score/scorer prediction? I'll go for 2-2. Grant is probably the best player in League Two so he could get one or two for you, but Holmes and Stockley to get ours. Share your thoughts about this opposition view article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

It feels like an age since we were last in League Two action given the glut of festive football followed up by the FA Cup and then nothing for a whole week! But here we are again in league action as we take on local rivals Lincoln City at Sincil Bank this weekend. Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Imps fan Sam to get an insight on the opposition for Saturday's short trip away. About Sam: I'm 25, been supporting the team since I was a kid with my dad taking me to games, and my favourite player of all time is Simon Yeo. How have Lincoln done so far this season? Amazingly. As a promoted side, there's always that anxiety in the back of the mind of how we'll do in the higher up league, but to be sitting in the playoffs and boasting such great form, we can keep on dreaming of back-to-back promotions, but we're just enjoying the ride. How would you say 2017 has been for the Imps? If things are going superb this season, the calendar year was pretty much perfect. The FA Cup run was the stuff of dreams and then ending the season with promotion before continuing the good form in League Two, well let's just say we hope 2018 will be just as amazing. Who have been your standout players this season? Most of the squad has been superb, but Michael Bostwick - what a signing he's been. He's a beast in midfield and in our Checkatrade game against Rochdale the other day played centre-back and was immense. But really, I can name so many quality players - Matt Green, Alex Woodyard, Neal Eardley, Harry Anderson and Matt Rhead just to name a few. Are you happy to see Terry Hawkridge delivering for Notts? Absolutely. His goals secured Lincoln the title last season and even though many fans didn't want him to leave, it's fair enough for him to join his hometown club. Also he didn't celebrate when he scored against us so yeah, happy to see him prospering. Where do you think you'll finish this season? I would love a top-seven finish and a go at the playoffs, though promotion may be a bridge too far this season. I'll be delighted with a top-half finish and hopefully the squad can develop even further and mount a proper promotion challenge next year. Score/scorer prediction? 2-0 to Lincoln, Matt Rhead with both goals! Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Once again, League Two will be put on ice for the time being because it's FA Cup time! Notts County have successfully navigated through two tricky ties in the opening two rounds, beating League One Bristol Rovers and non-league Oxford City to earn a tie at Championship side Brentford. Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Bees fan Will (@WillBoy65) to get an insight on Saturday's opposition. About Will: I've been supporting Brentford since I was 3 and my favourite player is Charlie McDonald. Brentford have been on the up this decade - how do you feel the club has been run? I think we were at our peak 3 years ago under Warburton and then “Moneyball” came in and we didn’t like it at first but then we got Dean Smith at the end of the season and since then we’ve been improving every game. The Bees had their own "Leicester/Watford" moment against Doncaster in the final game of the 2012-13 season - tell us about your emotions on that day. Our manager was shouting “Let Kevin O’Connor take it” but Marcello Trotta stepped up and hit the bar. I was thinking "keep it in there" but the ball was cleared to the halfway line and then they scored. I was in tears and I was heart broken because we were a kick away from the Championship but if you look now the tables have turned dramatically. One of County's most loved players of recent times, Alan Judge, plays for Brentford. What do you think of him? I think he is one of our best players of the last 10 years or so and I was devastated when he suffered a broken leg but he scored a brace for our B team a couple of weeks ago and is now on the bench which is good. Similarly, you had Martin Allen at the helm and he's viewed fondly by Notts fans. How did he do at Brentford? I didn’t really watch Brentford when he was in charge, I didn’t go to many games when I was younger, but my granddad who goes every game says he was a good manager for us and fit in at Brentford quite well. What is your favourite memory as a Brentford fan? I think my best memory was either when we finished 5th in our first season in the Championship in over 20 years or when we went to Fulham on Good Friday and beat them 4-1 and we scored in the last minute I still remember that day clearly in my mind the atmosphere was electric it was also improved by the fact that they are our rivals Who are your danger men? I think definitely Canos because he can turn nothing into an amazing chance like the other week he picked it up just about the halfway line ran towards the box hit one and hit the bar. I also think our new signing Marcondes is a good player - he hasn’t played yet but he scored 37 in 112 appearances for his old club, and Ryan Woods is a good little midfielder who I don’t think stops running all game he wins the ball back a lot and gets a few assists quite often. Can we get your score and scorer predictions? I’m gonna say a 3-2 or 2-2 game because I think we will play well but it depends on what team we put out because we’re only 6 points away from the playoffs so Smith might play a weak team if he wants to focus on the league, but he might play a strong team if he wants league and cup so I don't really know but I think it’s gonna be close. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

The festive period continues to bring forth football action as Notts County, fresh from a 4-1 win away at Morecambe on Boxing Day, prepare for two games in three days, starting with Swindon Town away. The Robins sit a very modest 11th in the table with 35 points, putting them within reach of the playoffs. Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Swindon fan Robert to get an insight on Saturday's opposition. About Robert: I've been a Swindon fan since I was a kid, going back to the early 2000s, and my fave player is Sam Parkin. 1) Swindon finished fourth in League One in 2015 but were relegated into League Two two years later. What happened? Tim Sherwood happened. He was appointed as "director of football" but he was in charge of "all football-related matters" including tactics and training, while at the same time Luke Williams was their head coach but had his hands tied. The whole thing was a farce and after relegation, he just left and said "this wasn't a job, I wasn't getting paid". 2) How do you think this season's gone so far for the Robins? We've been woefully inconsistent. Superb on the road, dreadful at home. The best example is being able to beat Luton 3-0 on their own turf but get hammered 5-0 at the County Ground. 3) You currently sit 11th in the table, three points off the playoffs. Do you fancy yourselves for promotion? It's very tight in mid-table at the moment and the playoffs are a massive scramble at the minute, but unless Swindon can improve their home form, they're not going to make the playoffs. 4) Ralf Little was reported to have had a trial with Swindon a few years ago, was he any good? Feels like a few but it was about 12-13 years now? Time goes way too quick! But no, he wasn't taken on as Andy King said he wasn't good enough - that said, the rest of the team at the time wasn't much better... he's on the celeb football circuit though, doing charity games, so that's about his level which is no bad thing. 5) Who are your danger men? Luke Norris is our top scorer with 9 in 18 games, he was superb in September but since then his form's tailed off a little, he's still getting the odd goal though and if the rest of the team puts in more of a shift, we'll hopefully see him back on form. 6) Score/scorer prediction? It's at home, cue collective groans from fans... but I'm not going to predict a loss for my team, so I'm saying 2-2, Norris and Woolery with ours. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County will be hoping to get back to winning ways following their draws against Luton Town and Grimsby Town when they host Cambridge United this weekend. Managed by Shaun Derry, the U's are currently in a bad vein of form and may be missing key players. Pride of Nottingham spoke to Cambridge fan Tom to get an insight on this weekend's opposition. About Tom: I'm 26, been supporting the U's since I was a child, as long as I can remember, and my favourite player is Dave Kitson. 1) Cambridge dropped out of the Football League in 2005 and returned in 2014; what led to relegation and how did you bounce back up? The U's were having money problems since the late 90s in all fairness and with financial issues comes the drop down the leagues, less revenue, less quality players, and it becomes a vicious cycle. In the Conference it's then really difficult to gain promotion - we finished second two years in a row but then lost in the playoffs. After a few more years of no luck, third time lucky it was in 2014 - second-placed finish but playoff success. 2) How are things going this season for Cambridge United? Badly. Shaun Derry's clearly not the man to take us forward, the team's performing poorly on the pitch, we've been having injuries and suspensions all over the place, and behind the scenes it feels like a mess - Dave Doggett has resigned as chairman and nobody knows why, there's been reports of a takeover, there's reports of the club running at a £630,000 loss... basically, watch this space! 3) What's been your proudest moment as a United fan? It's a tie between the 2014 Conference playoff final, finally seeing the U's back in the Football League, and the FA Cup draw with Manchester United at the Abbey Stadium, a superb result which kept the dream alive and which gave us an unbelievable away day at Old Trafford. Closely behind is the 2014 Trophy final win over Gosport at Wembley. 4) Who are your biggest rivals? It used to be Cambridge City, but they've been playing at a lower level than us since forever. It's Peterborough now, though we're not overly keen on Northampton, Colchester and Luton either. 5) Who are your danger men? Uche Ikpeazu and Jabo Ibehre are our key men up front, but the latter is on the sidelines at the minute and we're not sure if he'll be back this weekend. They've both missed games here and there and their absence has been felt. 6) Can we get your score prediction? I'd be delighted with a draw. Let's call it 1-1. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have successfully navigated the crunch clash with Luton Town last weekend, now we're back at Meadow Lane this weekend as we take on Grimsby Town. The Mariners have enjoyed a decent enough season so far, sitting 11th in the table with nine wins, five draws and seven defeats. Pride of Nottingham spoke to Grimsby fan Steve to get an insight on the opposition. About Steve: Been a fan since the 90s and my favourite player of all time is John McDermott. 1) Grimsby spent six years in the non-league before coming back up. What led to your drop into the Conference and how did you eventually climb back up? Financial problems at the start of the 2000s were the beginning of the rot, we plummeted down the leagues, and then in 2009-10 several disastrous decisions - giving our youth team coach the permanent job, moving Barry Conlon on - saw us down into non-league, which is a notoriously difficult league to get out of. 2) Blundell Park is famously situated in Cleethorpes rather than Grimsby. Is this something that fans currently talk/moan about or is it no big deal? Not really. The name Grimsby Town goes back to the 19th century and the move to Blundell Park was made on the turn of the century, so it's just how it's always been. 3) There was some uproar from a number of Grimbarians about that Sacha Baron Cohen film named after your town when it came out. What was the general consensus from Mariners fans about it? Opinions were split fairly even to be fair. Some people were offended at being depicted as typical "Northern" (in the Southerner definition of the word ie North of the Watford Gap) slobs, others were annoyed the town barely featured, but me and a lot of others just thought it was a laugh (not as good as his other films though) and kind of basked in the limelight for a bit. 4) Thomas Turgoose, the actor who made a name for himself in Nottingham-filmed This Is England, is a big Grimsby fan. Have you or any of your friends ever met him and what's he like in terms of supporting the club? Can't say I do I'm afraid, but I'm a big fan of TIE - the film and the shows - proper telly (or cinema), maybe Cohen could have a word of two with Shane Meadows! 5) Who are your biggest rivals and, if a different team, who have been your most recent rivals? Hull City are our main rivals but we haven't met in competitive games, cup or league, since the 1990s. More recently it's been Lincoln City, we've battled plenty of times in league (and non-league) so it's good to see them back. 6) Who are your team's danger men? And what do you think the score/scorers will be? Luke Summerfield is a creative midfielder who likes to get forward and is very direct, he'll be a threat. Sam Jones is also going to be a handful - he's a striker who's really good at ghosting inbehind the opposition defence. And I think it'll end 1-1, Jones to get our goal. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

For all the excitement of reaching the third round of the FA Cup (and the ensuing anti-climax at drawing Brentford away), all that must now be stashed away until next month because now it's time to refocus on the league. And as fixtures go, this weekend's encounter is probably the most taxing we are bound to have all season (except for an away derby) - Luton Town away. The Hatters are top of League Two and their goal difference is frightening - they've been smashing goals in all season (48 scored in 20 games) and have a mean defence (18 conceded). Ahead of Saturday's crunch clash at Kenilworth Road, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Luton fan James Hall (@LTFCJames98) to get an insight on the opposition. About James: I'm 19 years old been a fan from as young as I can remember, and my favourite player is Marek Stech. Q1: What led to Luton's slide down the Football League and into the Conference, including that infamous 30-point deduction in 2008-09? The sale of key players for club record fees in our last Championship season and Mike Newell's demand for replacements capable of keeping us up failed as there were many sales and replacements were very few and far between. From then we struggled and just slid down the leagues until we eventually got our -30 in the 08/09 season. Possibly the worst season for us Luton fans. Q2: It took four years for Luton to go back up into League Two - how did you navigate the non-league period and what finally led to the club going back up? Every season we played in the non-league we found ourselves high up in the tables, often missing out on automatic promotion due to lack of consistency unfortunately. After several heartbreaks in the playoffs, some fans were starting to think it wasn’t ever going to happen. However, after employing an experienced non-league manager in John Still in 2013 things seemed to take a turn for the best, in his first full season as Luton manager we ended the season as champions, no doubt because of the goals of one man, Andre Gray! What an enjoyable season that was. Q3: Do you think the club would be in a different position had they stayed in the top flight when it was rebranded as the Premier League instead of going down the season before, like Notts did? Yes, without a doubt because the influence of the Premier League money would have enabled us to make positive changes, since then money has become a massive factor! I won’t complain too much though, much more competition and passion down here! Q4: The club has two main colour schemes, white and black, and orange, navy and white. Why is this the case, and which is your favourite? I’m not too sure why the colour scheme changed, however I do know that the black and white was used first back in 1920, then it was modified to the orange which has been used mostly since. My favourite has to be the famous orange of Luton Town, puts a bright noticeable colour into the stands of Kenilworth Road! Q5: Luton are right up there at the top of League Two and boast an impressive goal difference - do you think you'll win the title and what other three teams do you think will go up into League One? With the squad we have to hand this season it’s difficult to see us not getting promoted, our goal difference at this stage is phenomenal, scoring 7 three times this season! Of course we are flying but there are also a few other teams that have the squad capable of such things. Notts are having a strong season as well, sitting on the same amount of points means they are right on our backs. For me, I think we will win the league, however it will get close! Notts, Exeter and Wycombe are my other promotion candidates. Q6: Who are your danger men, and can we get your score and scorer prediction? Danny Hylton is definitely one to watch with 13 this season but also more recently and surprisingly Dan Potts, our left-back, scoring 6 this season. My prediction For Saturday is Luton 3-1 Notts. I think we will step up now against second place and produce probably our best result of the season, Hylton scoring two and Luke Berry getting one with your star player Jorge Grant getting your goal! Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

We're 19 games into the season and top spot in League Two keeps changing hands more often than a game of "pass the parcel". Notts County were top of the table until Tuesday night, when a 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town saw Luton Town return to the top on goal difference (and theirs is pretty darn high). But this weekend we go again and the team standing between the Magpies and three points is Colchester United, who currently sit in a very healthy ninth place in the standings. Pride of Nottingham spoke to U's fan John to get an insight on the opposition as well as what it's like supporting the club. About John: I'm 26, my dad used to take me to games since I was a kid but I've been properly supporting the U's since I was 14, and my favourite player of all time is Karl Duguid. How did it feel to win the "Pride of Anglia" title for the first time in the club's history when you finished above Norwich and Ipswich in 2007? It was great, that season was amazing, 10th in the Championship was our highest ever finish and it was funny to upstage those two teams, even if neither are our greatest rivals - Wycombe hold that distinction. You famously beat Norwich 7-1 away on the opening day of the 2009-10 League One season but then Paul Lambert defected to them and led them to the title - what are your thoughts on that whole debacle? Let's just say he's not remembered very fondly here. He did a good job with us, there's no denying that, and beating Norwich 7-1 away was an incredible occasion, but to leave right at the start of the season shows what kind of snake he is. There's nothing wrong with personal ambition but to leave us in the manner and timing that he did left a bitter taste. You lost to Oxford City in the first round of the FA Cup and we'll be facing them in round two - any tips on how to approach the game? No disrespect to City but we really weren't at the races that day, we really should have beaten them, but all credit to them, they played well. Their striker (Matt Paterson) was dangerous, he scored with a well-taken header, hit the bar from a free kick and had several other chances, so he'll be one to watch, while their wingers were also a handful, so my advice would be not to take the game lightly and to keep their attacking players at bay. Who are your team's danger men? Mikael Mandron has got a decent enough goal tally with six in 18 and is quite skilful, but his goals have mostly been simple tap-ins - he's not the kind that will weave into the box and pull off some magic. Sammie Szmodics has seven in 16 (all competitions) and is back from injury - he's a tenacious attacking midfielder and has a great eye for goal so he's probably the one you should watch out for (though I hope you won't!). Score and scorer prediction? 2-0 to the U's, Szmodics and Mandron with our goals. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Here we are in mid-November and Notts County continue to hold top spot in League Two. Up next for us is a home encounter with Cheltenham Town, who currently sit 16th in the table. Ahead of the game at Meadow Lane, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Robins fan Dave to get an insight on this weekend's opposition. About Dave: I've been a fan since 1995, and my favourite player is Scott Brown. 1) Cheltenham dropped out of the Football League in 2015 but came back up the following season with a 101-point haul in the National League. What went wrong in the relegation season and how was it put right so soon? We survived narrowly in 2013-14, a season which followed two playoff position seasons and afterwards we lost key players, there were also managerial changes, and yeah, it was a case of a club in disarray going down. But the following season Gary Johnson signed a two-year deal, there was a squad clear out with good, hungry players brought in, and everything just clicked to get us back up. 2) Martin Allen, who's remembered fondly at Notts County, managed Cheltenham for a while - how did he do with you? Allen managed the club during a very tumultuous time when we had money problems, narrowly avoiding administration and having to put all players up for sale, but he wasn't particularly good - we got relegated to League Two under him, had a bad spell and then he was put on gardening leave due to allegations of racism, of which he was formally cleared but ended up leaving by mutual consent. So that was that. 3) Cheltenham were drawn against Spurs in the third round of the FA Cup in 2012 - what cup memories do you have with your club? Both that game against Spurs and the one against Everton were exciting ties but sadly we got hammered in both encounters. My favourite cup memory is actually the 97-98 FA Trophy win, completely different kettle of fish to today but still a very enjoyable occasion. 4) Who would you describe as Cheltenham's biggest footballing rivals? Traditionally it's been Gloucester City, but given we're several leagues apart, the only time we'll get to meet is in the cups, like the Gloucestershire Senior Cup. In the League it's Forest Green Rovers. 5) Who are your team's danger men? Carl Winchester is our midfield lynchpin, a nimble player who can pick a pass and has also weighed in with a couple goals. Mohamed Eisa, meanwhile, is a great finisher, has plenty of pace and has done well in front of goal. 6) Score and scorer prediction I reckon a 1-1 draw, with Eisa getting our goal. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

The way November's fixtures have been structured, League Two's first matchday this month isn't until the 11th. Notts County have coasted into the second round of the FA Cup and been eliminated (thankfully, some will say) from the EFL Trophy, so now it's back to the small task of trying to remain top of the league standings. Up next is Stevenage away and, ahead of Saturday's fixture, Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Boro fan George Adkins (Twitter: george__adkins) to get an insight on the opposition. Q1: Stevenage is a fairly new club, being formed in 1976. What's been your best club memory so far? My best memory has to be when we beat Newcastle in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in 2011, it was the first year I started to go to Stevenage every game so to go into the next round was amazing. Q2: How does it feel to have been the first team to have won a competitive final at the new Wembley in 2007? It’s a good achievement for the team because they were the first to win at the new Wembley, showing other teams that it’s possible to get to finals at Wembley and win. Q3: You've had a good pedigree in the FA Trophy, having won two and finished runners-up since the turn of the century - which do you feel was the better win? I feel the Kidderminster 2007 was the better win because it was our first win in a cup, it was also at the new Wembley which makes it even more important. Q4: Who would you say are Stevenage's biggest rivals? Luton Town are probably our biggest league rivals because they are the closest team to Stevenage in the Football League. Q5: Who are your team's danger men? Stevenage’s danger men are Danny Newton and Matty Godden, they have both come from non league and have continued to score many goals for their club. Q6: Score/scorer prediction 1-0 Stevenage - Matt Godden Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County's League Two campaign will be put on ice this weekend as the FA Cup rolls into town, or more precisely, Bristol Rovers, who stand between the Magpies and the second round of the competition. With all lower-league eyes firmly on the third round and the possibility of a fixture against a big Premier League side, Notts and Rovers - currently in League One - will want to get their names in the hat for the lottery. In this Opposition View article, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Rovers fan Gary to get an insight on the opposition. About Gary: In my 30s, been a Gashead since 1992, and my favourite player is Lee Brown. Rovers dropped into the Conference in 2014 then enjoyed back to back promotions and now play in League One. What was behind this fall and subsequent rise? Relegation was a bit of a (im) perfect storm that season. The board withholding funds for players with a view to funding a new stadium, one of the two January arrivals suffering a season-ending injury, John-Joe O'Toole's goal drought and of course that dreadful last day. Keeping faith in Darrell Clarke was key - he rebuilt the team following relegation, and he repaid the faith with a solid, well-drilled and talented squad, hence the back to back promotions. What's your rivalry with Bristol City like, and what other teams do you consider as rivals? Oh, we hate City. It's a pretty strong rivalry, and especially with how their owners have created the "Bristol Sport" brand, with the intention of monopolising sport in the city and shutting us out, it's disrespectful towards us, so yeah, a lot of bad blood. Bristol Rugby played at the Memorial Stadium for a number of years, and rugby is big in that region - are a lot of Gasheads supporters of both? Not since they became part of the Bristol "Sport" umbrella, they now play at Ashton Gate and virtually none of us want anything to do with them. Most Rovers fans will follow Bath Rugby if they're into the egg-chasing. Rovers played in Bath for a number of years in the 80s and 90s - what's the current stadium situation like for the club? A mess, in all honesty. We had been in talks with the University of West of England over a new stadium but, given the amount of things they wanted control over - security, external event revenue - it wouldn't have been good for us, so we broke off talks, and we're now looking at reveloping the Mem. Who are your danger men? Billy Bodin was our top goalscorer last season with 13 goals and this season he has nine in 15 games - and he plays as a winger! Up front, Ellis Harrison and Rory Gaffney have been in impressive goalscoring form, while summer signing Tom Nichols finally got off the mark in our last game. Score/scorer 2-1 Rovers, Nichols and Gaffney with our goals and onto the second round we go! Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County return to League Two action on Saturday with a home game against Newport County. The Exiles experienced two torrid seasons back to back but survived both times, and now they sit sixth in the standings. Pride of Nottingham spoke to Newport fan Frank ahead of the game at Meadow Lane to get an insight into his team. About Frank: I'm in my 30s, been a fan since 1999, and my favourite player is Craig Reid. 1) Charlie Hopkins has recently resigned as a director at Newport and has spoken of a split in the boardroom - how have things been off the pitch at the club in recent years? Hopkins's resignation letter, which was leaked to the press, was damning in its content - he basically said there was a split in the boardroom and that he could no longer work with some of his fellow directors. Just a few weeks earlier, our old chairman - who was also supposedly at loggerheads with the other directors - resigned, so it seems to be a bit of a power struggle up top at the minute. The board has been very hush-hush in the last few years, a lot of secrecy, and obviously fans want communication to be more transparent with regards to what's going on exactly. 2) You've finished 22nd in League Two the last two seasons but ninth the one before - what led to such a decline in fortunes in recent years? In summer 2015, our previous chairman Les Scadding resigned - he had won the Euromillions a few years before and invested in the club - and the Supporters' Trust took over, but with a lower budget, players having to be sold, managerial changes and so on, form naturally took a tumble. 3) Newport have several former Notts players in their ranks like David Pipe, Joss Labadie and Scot Bennett - how have they been doing at the club? David Pipe's a Newport legend, pure and simple - he's had several spells at the club, gives his all and is a very passionate player - he's definitely improved and mellowed out a bit since his earlier spells too. Joss Labadie is our captain and has been very good for us, although he is a bit of a loose cannon - though at least he's not done his Luis Suarez impression while here! And Scot Bennett was impressive in his loan spell from you guys and since joining us permanently he's been solid both in defence and midfield. 4) Who are your club's danger men? As you know, Labadie is a cracking midfielder, and he has formed a great partnership with Ben Tozer and Matty Dolan this season, but sadly he's been ruled out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring injury. And up front, Frank Nouble and Padraig Among are dynamic players who have bagged a fair few goals between them, while Shawn McClousky has been used sparingly but also knows where the goal us. 5) Score and scorer prediction Even without Labadie, I fancy us to continue our good form - 3-1 win for Newport, Amond and Nouble to get three between them. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

What goes up must come down, and following Notts County's incredible spell between mid-August and late September, things have taken a bit of a downturn. The Magpies still remain in the upper reaches of the League Two table, but following three poor performances from the last four games, alarm bells have started ringing just a little. Up next is the long trip to Cumbria on Saturday, where Carlisle United await us. In this Opposition View, Pride of Nottingham speaks to Cumbrians fan Elliott to give us an insight on the weekend's opposition. About Elliott: 25 years old, fan since 2004, favourite player is Karl Hawley. 1) "Carlisle away" is often considered one of the most dreaded away days due to the distance - how do you feel about this reputation? It's quite funny really. I mean, if fans dread coming to Carlisle, even if it's just because of distance, then that's half the battle won. But it's only one game out of 46 for away fans. For us, virtually every away game is a trek. 2) Jimmy Glass's injury-time goal in 1999 is the stuff of folklore - what do you make of it? I'm too young to really remember it but having spoken to older fans, it really seemed an incredible moment. At the time, relegation to the Conference could have easily bankrupted Michael Knighton, the owner at the time, and in turn put an end to Carlisle United. Even just watching it back on YouTube, it sends shivers down my spine. Can't even begin to imagine having been there. 3) Since the turn of the millennium you've been as high as League One and as low as the Conference - where do you feel is your natural level? Is there such thing as a "natural level" in football? You've got teams like Huddersfield and Bournemouth in the Premier League and the likes of Portsmouth and Blackburn in the third tier. We are where we deserve to be at present. Obviously I'd like to see us back into League One and then go up into the Championship but every club's where it deserves to be. 4) What's your proudest moment as a Carlisle fan? A single occasion - the 1-0 win over Brentford in the JPT final in 2011. In terms of a spell- the back-to-back promotions from the Conference to League Two and then winning the title to go up into League One. 5) Who are your team's danger men? Reggie Lambe can't stop scoring at the minute, he's going from strength to strength and it shouldn't be a surprise to see him in double figures before Christmas. And Danny Grainger is also bagging the goals - and a couple of assists too - from left-back. 6) Score and scorer prediction 2-1 Carlisle, Hallam Hope and Reggie Lambe to get our goals. Share your thoughts about this opposition view article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have had a bit of a downturn in form, with their derby defeat at Mansfield Town followed up by a woeful performance against Forest Green Rovers that ended up as a draw by sheer miracle. The Magpies will hopefully have regrouped over the last seven days as another relatively winnable game awaits, a home encounter with Barnet. Although the Bees are not exactly setting League Two on fire, neither were FGR, and look how that turned out, so here's hoping Notts will have gone back to basics and got themselves back up to scratch. Pride of Nottingham spoke to Barnet fan Dan to get an insight on Saturday's opposition. About Dan: I'm in my 20s, been a Bees fan since 2005, and my favourite player is John Akinde. 1) London famously boasts 12 clubs in the Premier League and Football League - who are your biggest rivals? Historically our fiercest rivals were Enfield, while Wealdstone are our current main enemies. In terms of league encounters, any match between ourselves and other London teams tend to have a bit extra spice, but it's just us at present from London in the league. Closest thing this season would be Luton but we don't really see them as proper rivals. 2) What was it like when legendary midfielder Edgar Davids became manager of your club? At first it was pretty surreal, to see such a world-famous player rock up to Underhill and take the reins, and he did pretty well at first, though we ended up going down on the final day due to our woeful start-of-season form. In the Conference, his relationship with the fans became strained as it seemed like he was hogging the limelight and, with the team pretty much out of contention for the playoffs by January, he resigned. Started well, ended sour, but was definitely a memorable experience. 3) Martin Allen is remembered fondly at Meadow Lane - what do you think of him at the Hive? On one hand he has given Barnet some good times - in his last spell (fourth) with the club, he took an average Conference side and turned them into champions within a year and left with the club in the top 10 of League Two. On the other hand, he did ditch us for Eastleigh, who were waving their chequebook, and just days before leaving, he sold one of our key players to them - ironically, neither of them were at their new club for very long! 4) Looking from the outside in, Tony Kleanthous seems like a very involved, hands-on chairman. What's he like? No complaints about him whatsoever. He's been a very good chairman for Barnet over the years, has kept us financially stable, invests in the club, and in terms of managerial appointments, has a decent record. 5) Who are your danger men? Shaq Coulthirst has had a great start for us, with six goals and three assists so far in the league and was voted the Player of the Month. Then there's John Akinde, who has scored over 20 goals in each of the last two seasons in League Two and he's back from injury now, so once he hits top form again, he'll be dangerous. 6) Score and scorer prediction I'm hoping we can pounce on County's recent poor form and claim a win. I'll say 2-1 to Barnet, Coulthirst brace. Share your thoughts about this opposition view article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County entered October at the top of League Two, although they were left reeling from a 3-1 derby defeat at Mansfield Town, with the scoreline only marginally better thanks to Carl Dickinson's late consolation. However, being brought back down to earth could be beneficial in the long term as it showed the Magpies players that great form and momentum can come crashing to a halt, so back to the drawing board. Up next for Notts is a home game against the league's basement side, Forest Green Rovers, promoted from the National League last season. Pride of Nottingham spoke to FGR fan Connor to get an insight on Saturday's opposition. About Connor: In my early 20s, been a fan since 2012, and my favourite player is Dale Bennett. Forest Green are in the EFL for the first time in their history. Tell us about their rise and how it feels at present. It's incredible really, uncharted territory for the town of Nailsworth and the region of Gloucestershire. For years and years FGR was just a local non-league club that you'd pop down to support alongside a couple hundred other people, but since Dale Vince took over the club it's been an incredible rollercoaster ride and we're making the most of it, even if things are a little murky at present. Much is made of the club's green credentials - and opposition fans seem eager to mock this aspect. What do you make of it? At first it did seem like a bit much when Vince made all those changes to the club but it's a noble cause, it's for the good of the environment and so most of the fans have happily got behind it. As for the opposition fans mocking us, we've got used to it now. It's pathetic and cute at the same time, won't say much more than that. Mark Cooper used to be Notts manager but the manner of his departure left many fans unimpressed. How is he doing at FGR? Cooper was a popular choice at the time and managed to get us promoted. However, his relationship with the fans isn't very good at present, and he appears to have lost the dressing room too. The biggest mistake was giving him a five-year contract, because sacking him would cost the club a lot in compensation, but likewise Cooper isn't exactly under that much pressure to deliver. Liam Noble was famously the subject of interest from Notts in the summer but he won't be playing - what's happening with him? The official line is that Noble is going to be absent because of a medical issue. The club's PR hasn't been very good in the last couple months so fans are speculating as to what exactly it might be. But the general consensus is that it's something potentially sensitive and confidential so aside from unbased speculation, there isn't really anything more to it. Who are your danger men? Christian Doidge got 27 goals in 44 games last season and got off to a good start this season with 4 in his first 5, though his form has tailed off since then. Dale Bennett is one of the most consistent players in our line-up, is skilled and always gives 100%. And then we have Keanu Marsh-Brown and Noble, neither of whom are playing at the minute sadly. Final score? With how things are at the minute at FGR and bearing in mind County's form, I'd be delighted to take a draw. I'll go with 1-1. Share your thoughts about this opposition view article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

It just gets better and better for Notts, who sit proudly atop the League Two table following impressive wins over Lincoln City and Exeter City. But now, arguably the biggest clash of the season for the Magpies, a trip to the One Call Stadium to face Mansfield Town this Saturday. Pride of Nottingham spoke to well-known photographer, Billy Davies 'nemesis' and Stags fan Dan Westwell to get the lowdown on his beloved team. Background: 43 years old, first Stags game 1986. Lots of favourite players over the years, George Foster, Paul Holland, Ian Bowling, Chris Greenacre, Michael Boulding, Bobby Hassell to name a few. What do you make of current owner John Radford? I love him. I can’t thank him enough for rescuing us 7 years ago. He’s put a lot of money into the club to get us out of that hellhole we were in for 5 years. I really hope we go up and even if it’s for just one season, I’d love it for us to get to the Championship to fulfil his dream & reward him for everything he has done for us. You were tipped as promotion contenders at the start of the season - what do you make of that tag? I think it was the bookies' ignorance. They looked at Steve Evans record of 9 promotions and the fact that we got our business done straightaway & it just made them stick us up as favourites. I think Luton, Exeter, Coventry, Swindon, Wycombe, Cambridge, Carlisle, Crewe, Port Vale should all have been above us in the odds table but the bookies aren’t usually wrong, let’s hope they’re right again in May. Steve Evans is a very Marmite manager - are you impressed with him as your manager? When he was appointed I kept pinching myself as i couldn’t believe how lucky we were. I still think we’re lucky although some of his antics are getting a bit embarrassing at the moment, but that’s Steve Evans. Marmite is a brilliant description of him. I would say more people hate him than like him, but i would also say that most clubs in L1 & L2 would love to have him as their Manager, as he’s been there and done it. His experience could be the difference between going up and not going up. He did well by getting all of our signings sorted in June/July, but that made a lot of ignorant people say “Mansfield are spending millions” and “Steve Evans is going to bankrupt Mansfield” but what they didn’t see is that he released 11 players and signed 11 players more or less in the same couple of weeks. Matt Green was on a big wage as were a couple of others, so getting rid of them made us able to sign proper quality players from League One. I don’t think we needed all the players we signed as we had the 4th best defensive record out of all 92 clubs last season, then he goes and signs 3 defenders, but he knows what he’s doing so we have to trust him. There are several East Midlands derbies in League Two this season - which is the biggest for you? The biggest derby for all Stags fans is Ch*sterfield. There is pure hatred there. I know there’s a few Notts fans who hate Stags but I’m afraid the feeling isn’t mutual with most of us. I always call our game ‘the friendly derby’ because that’s how we look at Notts. Don’t get me wrong we love to beat Notts the same as Ch*sterfield, but if you gave us a choice of who to take 6 points from, it would be the woolly ones every time. Lincoln is another derby game that’s tasty, on a par with Notts. There’s always a few idiots from all 3 clubs who like to cause trouble, as we’ve seen over the years. To back up my ‘friendly derby’ comment, we bring more fans to Notts than we get for home games, because people enjoy the trip to Nottingham, a few beers at the waterfront, Hooters, it’s easy to get to by train and of course with us not having electricity or water over in Mansfield it’s a big treat to visit a big city! Who are your squad's danger men? It’s hard to predict our danger men because on paper we’ve got a lot but on the pitch we’ve not really shown much danger apart from a brilliant 80 minutes against Luton. There’s a few who if they show their true potential will be a great asset. Paul Anderson, Jacob Mellis, Will Atkinson, Alex MacDonald, Calum Butcher & Alfie Potter all have got the potential to be match winners on their day and have got experience in the Championship/L1. We’ve also got former Notts defender Krystian Pearce who was player of the season last year. He scored twice against Grimsby recently so I’m sure he would like to grab a goal against his old club. What do you think the score/scorers will be? Predicting the game is impossible. My heart says we’ll win 2-0, my head says we’ll lose 0-2. I’d take a point if it was offered now, so I’ll go for a 0-0 draw and get splinters. May the best team win and hopefully it’s football that we’re talking about after the game. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

There is little to be said about Notts County that hasn't been said already - we are flying high at the minute in virtually every aspect of the club. Eight matches unbeaten, four-game winning run in League Two, four clean sheets in a row, second in the table, and our brilliant manager Kevin Nolan has just signed a new three-year contract at Meadow Lane. Up next for Notts is one of two derbies in the next three games, which sees newly promoted Lincoln City come to Meadow Lane on Saturday. Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Imps fan Luke Kempson (Twitter: @LukeKempson1) to get an insight on the opposition. About Luke: I have been a fan of the Imps since moving to Lincoln about eight years ago, it's the first time I can say that I truly felt what it's like to support a football club as I would rather have been playing but something clicked when I first went to Lincoln the last time we were in League Two against Hereford when the World Cup was present at Sincil Bank. My personal all time favourite player is Alan Power, as I think his hard work, mixed with his loyalty is something that is hard to find in football these days and he stuck with us through some bad, dark times and got his reward at the end of last season. Q1- You guys were in non league for a number of years. What went wrong and how has it been put right? What went wrong was we had a squad full of players who didn't care, they weren't proud to put on the shirt and they certainly put in very little if no effort at all. That has been an issue until recently where we seemed to give up and get bullied a lot of the time. It's been put right I feel when Chris Moyses took over, he installed some form of fight into the squad, and bought in hard working, honest players such as Bradley Wood, Matt Rhead and those players helped us out of a dark time and a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel, even though we finished 13th. I do feel that Chris Moyses laid down a foundation of which the Cowleys have taken it upon themselves to transform the club to another level and it's also been key that the football club has come back to the community which I felt during our relegation and the first three to four years it had taken a step back and not engaged as much with the fans as it did before. Q2- Danny Cowley has been a revelation - just what makes him so special? What can I say about these two brothers that hasn't already been said, they bought a new lease of life into Lincoln and they got the entire city to be proud of its football club again. Danny is a manager who puts players first beyond anything else, his man-management skills are perfect and because of his teaching background I am sure that has helped with the man-management side of things. Also, Danny engages with the fans and always has time out to come and talk to fans or if any fans approach him he always seems to have the time to make everyone feel a part of this club. I've not seen any football manager who puts in as much hard work as the Cowleys, they don't sleep I think or at least very little, they're at the club at 7am and won't leave until 9pm everything is thorough and everything is worked through to the finest detail. He uses a Sports Science background which I think helped propel the club to the next level and also combining two universities which are in the City and building good, solid partnerships with them. Q3- You enjoyed a good cup run last season - can you give us an assessment of it. It was beyond anyone's wildest dreams the cup run we went on last season it no doubt helped bring fans back to the club and engaged the entire City which seems to have stayed beyond. The fact we had a replay in the 4th qualifying round against Guiseley just to get through to round 1, then scraping a 2-1 win against Altrincham in the 1st round. Then it began on a very foggy night at Sincil Bank on a Monday, Oldham who were struggling in League One came into town and I felt we dominated 60 minutes of that game and were 3-0 up before they had a late comeback but it wasn't enough for them to get anything out of the game and what I remember by the final whistle you literally couldn't see the pitch as the fog was that thick and it had come down that low but that was the beginning of what was to come. The third round, the magical round for all lower league clubs felt a little underwhelming at the time to be going to Ipswich away, but as the game got closer and closer the more tickets being sold a 5,000 strong army of Imps fans made their way down to Portman Road, we of course went in with no expectation - I mean we were top of the National League, but they're a Championship side it was more of enjoying the day and hoping to battle. It finished 2-2 but in the replay we went on to win and into round four we go and the visit of then Championship leaders Brighton. Again, Sincil Bank was sold out and the atmosphere had been building, queing hours for tickets and they took the lead from a good flick on by Glenn Murray and it was a good finish from their striker in a first half which I think Brighton edged. The second half was something magical as Alan Power, an OG one of the worst I've seen and Theo Robinson set Sincil Bank a light as we came from 0-1 down to win 3-1 and that magical feeling spread again. Then more hours queing up for tickets in the freezing cold, as we all hoped to get a Burnley ticket and need I say more about what happened at Burnley, we bought them down into a physical battle, with Rheady bullying the life out of Barton all game long, why Barton would choose to mark our big man is still beyond me. But come the 89th minute and one of the set piece routines the Cowley's work on in training as Waterfall was free at the back post to head it back across the face of goal for his CB partner Sean Raggett who was always going to get on the end of that and beat Keane and Heaton, a slight pause before the goal was given and that then was utter madness for the next five minutes of injury time as we held on and claimed a priceless victory away at a Premiership side who the Sunday before had held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw and we'd beaten them, Lincoln City had made it to the Quarter finals of the FA Cup. It truly was a fairytale and then we get to Arsenal, due to the pressure Wenger was under at that time he fielded his strongest eleven and for 45 minutes we were in it, battling as 9,000 Imps were roaring the side on. It took a deflection from a Walcott shot to break the deadlock just before HT. Then well, you saw world class players tearing apart the Lincoln defence. We lost 5-0 but we played very well, with some passion. I'll always remember at the end, Danny Cowley had got the players in a huddle to reassure and encourage them that what they had achieved no other Non-League side had ever done that in over 100 years. The players were disappointed to be on the end of a 5-0 result but they came to applaud the 9,000 strong contingent and even was clapped by Arsenal fans as well, the effort was there for all to see. The money generated from this cup run has helped us have a much more healthy budget for this season and going towards building our own training ground. All in all it was a magical cup run, in a magical season almost once in a lifetime season for where we were at. Q4- With Notts, Lincoln, Chesterfield and Mansfield all in League Two this season, which game are you looking forward to the most? I was just happy to be back in the EFL, however with some wonderful local games to whet the appetite again was good. Games against Notts, Mansfield, Chesterfield and Grimsby were all dates most Imps fans were looking out for I'd imagine and the ticket sales for the trip to Notts on Saturday is clearly one a lot of Lincoln fans are relishing with selling out our allocation and even the 300 extra tickets we were given so 4,500 Imps will be at the game and the atmosphere should be amazing too. Q5- Terry Hawkridge has done well for Notts so far. How will you greet him on Saturday? Hawkridge is one hell of a player with one hell of a delivery, he scored the two goals to assure us of the League and I was gutted when he turned down a new contract with us and signed for you. However I shall be giving him a good reception before and after the game as he was one of our better players we've had and it's good to see him starting well for Notts, but during the ninety minutes he is the enemy so probably some banter during that time but I have nothing but respect for Terry. Q6- Who are your key players this season, and what do you think the score/scorers will be? We've made some shrewd signings this summer, none other than a contract extension for our engine Alex Woodyard and also his new partner in midfield of Michael Bostwick which was a signing I never thought we would be able to get. Those two for me are a danger if we can play through the thirds as both are more than comfortable on the ball. Also I feel we've got electric pace down the flanks with Harry Anderson, Nathan Arnold, Jordan Maguire-Drew and Josh Ginelly. That is also a danger, especially as we usually bring one of them off the bench fresh when the full backs of the opposition are tiring. Matt Green up front an accomplished striker who scores goals at this level and has such pace and strength in the channels.. Those are my key players to watch out for. I can only see it being a 1-2 win for the Imps, usually we wake up after going a goal down, but with this squad a majority of the time we're fighters and we have no idea when we're beaten. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have the chance of topping the fledgling League Two table on Friday night if they beat Accrington Stanley at Meadow Lane. The Magpies have improved game by game this season, with the 3-0 loss to Coventry City largely forgotten now thanks to improved performances and results. With those over the Trent playing on Saturday, the Notts fixture has had to be moved, but if it all goes well, the Black and White Army can kickstart the bank holiday weekend the perfect way. Ahead of the game, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Accrington fan Alan to get an insight on the opposition. About Alan: I've been supporting Stanley since 2005, through my dad taking me to games as a kid, and my favourite player is Paul Mullin. You're known as "the club that wouldn't die" - what's it been like supporting the club in recent years? The last few years haven't been so bad to be fair. In the 60s, when the club went bankrupt, I've heard about how the town itself suffered and everyone was miserable before it was reformed. Then in the late 2000s we weren't far off it again. This decade we've had two playoff finishes and we're still dreaming of going up the leagues. Since promotion to League Two in 2006, you've finished in the lower half of the table every season except for two, where you had playoff finishes in 2011 and 2016 - why such fluctuation in positions? As good as it was reaching the playoffs, the problem is if you don't follow through and get promoted from them, and particularly in League Two, other clubs will identify your players as good prospects and snap them up. This happened both times, with many of our star players moving on, so it's back to square one. That milk advert from the 1980s - do Accrington fans hear it a lot from away fans? What are your thoughts on it - a joke that's worn thin or something more positive? I find it irritating as hell personally. Yes, we're not exactly a huge club, but now we're in the Football League, aren't we? I doubt either of those two kids made it beyond playing for their pub team. But some fans enjoy the recognition and say it's put the town and club on the map. Accrington is a bit of a bogey team for Notts, who haven't beaten Stanley in the last 6 games. Have you seen any of the games and what did you make of the Notts performances? I went to the last two home games against County. The first one we went 3-0 up and you lot seemed clueless, in all fairness, but you nearly pegged it back and it ended 3-2. The second one, we won 2-0 and it was our first home win for months - again, I feel we were more focused and organised than you on the day. But you lot have had a bad few years, from what I gather - I expect a much harder game this weekend. Favourite memory as a supporter? The 2015-16 season, where we were second in League Two and two points clear of fourth with just one game to go. Sadly we could only draw against Stevenage and other results went against us, and we couldn't negotiate the playoffs. So painful, but prior to that, a cracking season. And we got our own back against Stevenage the following year! Danger men for Accrington this season / who should Notts watch out for? Billy Kee is the main man, top scorer the last couple seasons and always a threat up front. And Sean McConville is quality too, a solid midfielder with an eye for goal and even better at creating chances for his teammates. Final score / scorers I'd love to say a good solid win but being realistic, I reckon a draw. 1-1, Kee to get our goal. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Following a poor start to the season for Notts County, things are looking up. A solid performance against Scunthorpe United in the League Cup, a cracking win against Chesterfield in the kind of dirty archetypal League Two game that would have stumped the Magpies in seasons past, and a good runout for some of the fringe players against Everton Under-21s in the Checkatrade Trophy, the attention now turns back to the bread and butter and our second league away day of the campaign, against the Adebayo Akinfenwa-led front line of Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park. Ahead of Saturday's game, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Chairboys fan Ben Caplan to get an insight on the opposition. About Ben: He has been a Wycombe fan since he was four years old, his dad taking him to games from an early age, and his favourite player is Sam Saunders. You went from just surviving relegation in 2014 to finishing in the playoffs, mid-table and close to playoffs the next three seasons. What issues were addressed after the 2013-14 relegation battle? In all fairness, I feel we just got lucky with who we signed, both permanently and on loan. Players like Alfie Mawson, Aaron Pierre, Nico Yennaris, Josh Scowen, Fred Onyedinma, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, they're all playing above League Two now. Just missing out on the playoffs last season - what do you feel the team could have done better, any particular games you felt you should have won? I feel we were awful last season to be fair. Games we should have won? Against Spurs in the FA Cup! How did you do in the transfer market this summer? Any standout signings? What about departures - anyone left who you will miss? We've only signed players over 30, but Craig Mackail-Smith today looks quality. Aaron Pierre's left for Northampton, we'll miss him. Who are the three players who could pose the biggest danger to Notts this weekend? Adebayo Akinfenwa of course. Sam Saunders is also quality and Paris Cowan-Hall when he comes back from injury. Do you fancy Wycombe to make the playoffs this season - and maybe go one better and get promoted? No. In all honesty, I reckon we'll finish mid-table this season. Score/scorer prediction for Saturday? 2-0 to Wycombe, Akinfenwa and Nathan Tyson with the goals. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Ahead of Notts County's first home fixture of the 2017/18 League Two season, against local rivals Chesterfield, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Spireites fan Gary Hewitt (@Gooey1983) about his team to get a better insight on the opposition. About Gary: I've been a Spireite since I went to my first game in 1995 against Blackpool with my dad and grandad, and always found a pride at following my home town team, felt a sense of belonging. This is despite moving to Scunthorpe in 1993, I always felt 'home' was still Chesterfield. I'm second cousin of Chesterfield legend Jamie Hewitt, who scored at Old Trafford against Middlesbrough in 1997! I try to get to about half of the games a season, work depending. What went wrong last season and what has the club done to address relegation so far? I believe the biggest mistake we made last year was our shocking recruitment in January. We brought in a group of young, naive youngsters who quite simply weren't up for a relegation scrap, and one in particular was sent home in disgrace. Our inability to defend set pieces and weakness down the spine of the team also cost us plenty of goals. There are quite a few East Midlands clubs in League Two this season. Which fixture are you most looking forward to and why? Naturally Mansfield due to the history between the 2 towns and clubs, I love the atmosphere! I'm also looking forward to Lincoln away as it's a nice city which has plenty of good pubs to choose from. I know Nottingham quite well too so County is another I look out for, again because we'll make it a full day out. If I had to choose... got to be Mansfield! What's your favourite memory as a Chesterfield fan and why? The moment Jamie Hewitt slammed a last minute equalising header in against Middlesbrough in FA cup semi in 1997! I was only 14 and just remember losing control of where I was for quite a while and ending up far away from my family! How do you reckon you'll do this season? Tough one... I'm going to say top 10. Play-offs will be a surprise to me. Which players are likely to be the biggest threat? Ian Evatt is a stalwart at the back and reads the game so well and marshals the back line like nobody else. I've got high hopes of Chris O'Grady too due to the level he's recently played at and he holds the ball up well and brings others into the game. Can we get your score and scorer predictions for Saturday? We need a clean sheet but I don't think we'll get one! I'm going for 2-2 with O'Grady and Reed our scorers. Share your thoughts about this Opposition View article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Ahead of Notts County's opening fixture of the 2017/18 League Two season, against Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Sky Blues fan George Baker (Twitter: @georgedbaker_) to get an insight on the opposition. About George: I'm 19 years old and have been supporting the Sky Blues since I was about 6. My Dad, who happens to be the chairman of the Sky Blue Trust nowadays, took me to my first game at Highfield Road in a game against Birmingham which we drew 1-1 I believe and I've been hooked ever since. I would say I would have a genuine love for the club and I think I know that since they've broken my hear so many times over the last few years! What was your initial reaction to the fixtures release, and are you happy with the opening fixture? Seeing the fixture list for the first time was a bit of a reality check to be honest with you. When I first started supporting the team, we were a mid-table Championship side who had previously had 35 years in the top flight up until 2001. And now, we're in the fourth tier and playing the likes of Forest Green, Mansfield Town and Lincoln City. I don't mean any offence to those teams mentioned but it just highlights our fall from grace. As for our opening fixture against Notts County, I think it's a tough first game for sure. I fully expect them to be challenging for the play-offs at the very least so Saturday's game may provide an indication of where the two sides will end up come the end of the season. It would have been nice to have been eased into League Two with a slightly easier opponent but it may be a positive to chalk off a game against one of our rivals this season. After last season's disappointment, how do you think Coventry City will adapt to life in League Two and what have you made of your pre-season? After last year's relegation we've been quick in clearing out a lot of the deadwood and replacing it with a fair bit of quality. I must admit I think we have a better team now than we did in League One. I think we have the right manager this year though and Mark Robins appears to have built a squad to withstand the rough and tumble of League Two. I think we may take a short while to adapt, not just to the League but as a team as nine new faces are being bedded into the squad with a few more expected but come September/October that's when we'll really get the ball rolling. As for pre-season, it's been a mixed bag. We've had a few decent results and one or two uninspiring performances but I don't look to much into pre-season. I'll be making my first full judgement this weekend! Which three players should Notts County be aware of, and which would you say is your key man and why? I think all of our danger men are new signings at the club. We'll start off at the back with Jack Grimmer. We've signed him from Fulham after some decent loan spells at Shrewsbury and judging from his first few outings he looks to be a real asset. He is able to bomb up and down the right hand side and is more than capable of beating his man and whipping a cross into the box. With Chris Stokes playing a more defensive left-back role it allows Grimmer push further up the field and provides an welcome option in attack. Our second player to watch out for sits in the middle of the pitch and that would be Peter Vincenti. We somehow managed to prize him away from Rochdale and he's a player who really excites me. Whilst he's the wrong age of 30, I believe he's still got plenty in the tank. We are likely to deploy him on the left of an attacking three and standing at 6 foot 5, he'll be real threat at the back post from Grimmer's deliveries. Our final player to watch in my opinion is Marc McNulty, who I believe will challenge for not only club top scorer but also the league as a whole. He's scored three in pre-season which yes were all from the penalty spot but he's shown to a be a real threat. He tends to play in the number ten role so picks up space in between the midfield and defence and will likely be playing off knock downs and link up play with Stuart Beavon, who is another player to arguably watch out for. Do you have any memories of Notts County over the years? If so, please share a couple of your favourite memories. I'm not sure I have too many memories of Notts County if I'm honest, since I've supported Coventry we haven't played on too many occasions - and when we have we tend to lose! I remember Jack Grealish tearing us apart a few seasons ago at your place! Both clubs have experienced somewhat turbulent times due to ownership, how do you feel about Otium Entertainment Group (SISU) and would having a good League Two season put things right? I like many want rid of SISU. They are nothing but a cancer to this club and until they leave we will not move forward. If we were to have a good season and get promoted then of course, that would be fantastic but it wouldn't solve our ownership problems. We still lack investment on the pitch. We have another ongoing court case against our landlords, our rent agreement ends at the end of this season, as does our academy's stay at their usual facility. A promotion would not fix the mess we are in. It may help, but we really are a shambles. There is talk of a takeover and that is the only way we can move forward. Until we have new owners, I don't believe that any form of success can rectify or put right what SISU have done wrong. What do you think the score will be? It's a hard one to call as both teams will be looking to make a statement early on. I think there will be goals though. I'll go for a 2-2 draw, an entertaining draw that is. McNulty and Willis scoring for us. Share your thoughts about this opposition view article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!